
The Q-Step Initiative
Q-Step is a £19.5 million programme designed to promote a step-change in quantitative social science training. Q-Step is a strategic response to the shortage of quantitatively-skilled social science graduates. It is funded by the Nuffield Foundation, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). For more information visit www.nuffieldfoundation.org/q-step.
Since 2013, fifteen universities across the UK are delivering specialist data driven undergraduate programmes, including new courses, bespoke work placements and pathways to postgraduate study. Expertise and resources are also shared across the higher education sector through a complementary support programme, reaching out to schools and employers.
University of Glasgow Q-step Centre Mission
We are committed to delivering a step-change in quantitative literacy in social sciences through an integrated life-long-learning model supported by social scientists, educationalists and mainstream statisticians at the University of Glasgow (UoG). We are monitoring the radical educational reforms currently underway in Scotland (reforms of both school curriculum and teachers’ training) for opportunities to support and nurture the future data analysis skilled social scientists.
Our Strategy
Stage one: embedding statistical numeracy across a wide spectrum of existing courses in Social Science and Education by thoroughly integrating the “4Cs” in Quantitative Methods (Core concepts, Creative skills, Critical thinking & Collaborative working) using national/international datasets in all four years of five MA (Social Sciences) degrees (Public Policy, Sociology, Politics, Economic and Social History, Central and Eastern European Studies ) and the MA (Education) degree.
Stage two: Develop new methods courses and badged degrees: including a coherent suite of new data driven courses at Levels 1 to 4, leading to new “with” degrees (e.g. MA Politics with Quantitative Methods, MA Sociology with Quantitative Methods, etc.).
Work Placements/Internships:
We are committed to delivering high quality bespoke internships to our students in a variety of organisations (Governmental and Non-Governmental as well as the private sector). Work Placements are part of our mission to grow and support our students. Internships specialize in data analysis, problem solving and social change.

Glasgow Q-Step Events
Q-Step at the Glasgow Science Festival 2019: 6-16 June
Glasgow Science Festival: Exploring Data - Examine and Predict Election Results
This event is explores how basic concepts learned in maths and statistics are applied within the social sciences to answer important questions, such as who voted for Brexit and if a second referendum were to be held how would people vote? Using basic principles of maths and stats pupils will have the opportunity to work with real British Elections Survey data using our online application to look and the characteristics of voters and link these attributes to vote intention. We will discuss why polls appear to sometimes get it wrong, and what ways pupils should question data they hear about in the media.
Date: Thur 6 & Fri 7 June
Time: 09:45-11:45; 12:30-14:30
Venue: University of Glasgow, Wolfson Medical Bld
Cost: Free